Anime Today Episode 24 Now Available!
Posted on: Friday, September 29, 2006
Episode run down:
October’s a month of seasonal changes, trick or treating, and best of all for anime fans, a bountiful harvest of box sets and first up is Chad with his picks in What’s Hot! Uso Deshou is next, followed by Kris & Judy’s Anime and Gamers Guide to Japanese Automobiles. Then Shawne surfs in with the Bandai Sky-surf into Savings Sale! In the last episode, we talked quite a bit about commentary tracks on anime DVDs and In this episode, our production team will bring us a few highlights from the Boys Be… directors’ commentary.
We’re wrapping up the Inu Yasha and Ninja Nonsense contests this month, and Nick and Rich return to kick off a series of exciting new contests for this fall. Judy-sensei is going to be giving us a quick overview of how to give driving directions in today’s Mini Japanese 101 lesson. With Halloween lurking right around the corner, Lisa Marie has decided to bring us a review of Trinity Blood. And finally, we’ll be answering a listener’s question about how companies decide if a new show will be released with an English dub or only subtitled.
What's Hot?
Complete Collection Box Sets and Thinpaks! Halloween’s just a month away and instead of spending all your money on candy for the kiddies, get yourself some treats and stock up on some of your favorite series! There are some excellent collections coming out in the next month so I thought I’d start us off today with some sweet Trick or Treats for those of us too old to beg door to door.
FUNimation’s release of Spiral emerges from the shadows with all 25 episodes in one Box Set on October 17th. Then Bandai has two great Anime Legends releasing on October 24th, the explosive Witch Hunter Robin Collection and the fully evolved collection of Scryed. Also on October 24th, Geneon’s Saiyuki Reload Box Set hits the shelves just before ADV’s release of the Complete Thinpak Collection of Saiyuki on October 31st. The Halloween treats continue to pile up with Right Stuf’s Gravitation TV Series Thinpak AND the Boogiepop Phantom TV Series plus the Boogiepop and Others Movie Thinpak Collection! Another Halloween trick you just can’t pass up is Manga Entertainment’s Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Season 1 DVD Set. And then on November 7th, check out Media Blaster’s Ah! My Goddess TV Premium DVD Box Set containing all 6 volumes in a collector's art box! Now how’s that for some Trick or Treat madness?
And now for a few individual titles to look out for: After making his floating dragon display of fried lobster, Kou Ransei leaves Celine Yang behind to advance on to the semifinals in the 21st graphic novel of Iron Wok Jan. Little do they know that on October 30th, Judge Otani has a very big surprise for the next round swimming around in a large underground water tank. Can it be... shark?!
Then on October 31st, balls are flying and tempers are flaring as ninjas take the mound in a good-old-fashioned “boys versus girls” baseball game! And Shinobu’s got a new pet… a 15-foot tall monster that’s eating everything in sight! Ninja Nonsense DVD 3: Ninjas on First is another volume full of perverted humor, cute girls, and ninja insanity!
Also on the 31st, get ready for even more ninja techniques, cursed items, nightmarish monsters, and of course plenty more of Onsokumaru! In the second graphic novel of Ninin Ga Shinobuden, you'll learn how to identify poisonous mushrooms, see ninjas play baseball, and watch what happens when Onsokumaru clones himself.
Another gem releasing October 31st is the 11th graphic novel of CLAMP’s RESEVoir CHRoNiCLE Tsubasa! The Dragonfly Race is set to begin in Piffle World, and the prize for one lucky lightweight aircraft pilot is an amazingly powerful battery in the shape of a feather. But for the four dimension-travelers, and one odd creature named Mokona, who have joined the competition, the feather represents more than energy - it's one of Princess Sakura's lost memories!
Our final hot title this week, releasing on November 7th, has been a constant hot pick since VIZ began releasing it domestically one year ago, Death Note. In the eighth volume, Light, working as Kira, the newest member of the NPA intelligence bureau, and L, has nearly succeeded in creating his ideal world. But the years of uncontested victory have made him complacent, and he is unprepared for a new attack close to home. With his younger sister Sayu kidnapped and the NPA's Death Note demanded as ransom, Light must travel across the world and confront two new adversaries, each with a very different agenda. Will Light's quick wits be a match for this new challenge, or will he be forced to choose between Kira's ambitions and his own family's lives?
Planning ahead and preordering from RightStuf.com will save you 25% up to 10 days before a title’s release. Save another 10% by joining the Got Anime purchasing club for Frequent Buyers.
Anime and Gamer's Guide to Japan with Kris and Judy
Shawne's Specials
I like to keep people on their toes - so out of the blue, I’m going to pull another sale out of my hat!
With this new sale, you can enjoy big savings on Bandai titles! Whether you're looking for classics like Cowboy Bebop or upcoming pre-orders like My-HiMe, you'll be riding on a wave of savings!
From now until October 8th, 2006, you can get at least 40% OFF the retail price on all Bandai DVDs and 33% OFF on all CDs and Graphic Novels!
Just use the reusable coupon code SKYSURF when you check out through our online store. Plus, as always, if you're a Got Anime Member, you'll be pleased to find that your discount stacks! Click the link graphic on the top right of the page labelled "Sky-Surf Items" to browse through Bandai titles with ease!
Of course, you can still also get in on the Geneon Bountiful Bargains sale through Sunday night - I am sure there are people waiting until the very end, but at this point I’d tell you to just get your order in, as I’m sure the site will be slammed with last minute shoppers.
As a reminder, There’s two options available for you: first, you can get 10 great Geneon releases for only $50 with coupon code bounty10 OR you can get 25 select Geneon releases for $100 with coupon code bounty25! Plus, don't forget that both offers will net you free economy shipping in both the US and Canada! Check the rules on how to use the coupon on our main page. Remember, this sale ends Sunday night!
Pick up your megabundles of Cardcaptor Sakura or Read or Die TV - the entire series of each are just $79.99! Lots of other great box sets, books, hentai, and more this week. Check out the talking Sumomo action figure, she’s especially cute!
The leaves are starting to turn here, and the fall means... The holidays are coming. I’m off to the lair to do my planning for the season. Don’t worry, I’m not sacrificing anything.. Well, except for your wallet.
See all of Shawne's Weekly Specials!
Check out the Bargain Bin!
Marie's DVD Review: Trinity Blood
Halloween’s coming up fast, and if your neighborhood is anything like mine, that can mean only one thing: vampire night at the local anime club. But even the most devoted of fans can only watch Vampire Princess Miyu, Blood, and Hellsing so many times before they begin to crave something new to go with their candy apples and pumpkin-favored pocky. Fortunately, Funimation has just released the first volume of Trinity Blood, adding a new and worthy title to our lineup for seasons to come.
Trinity Blood takes place hundreds of years in the future as humanity is slowly recovering after a series of incredibly bloody wars known as “Armageddon.” At the same time, an alien species has established their own civilization on Earth, and their hunger for their liquid sustenance brings them into frequent conflict with the natives. While the aliens call themselves “Methuselahs,” humans have a more colloquial term for the blood-sucking race: vampires.
In this world dominated by casual death and inter-species terror, religion has taken prominence on the global stage. The Vatican and the Catholic Church have come to dominate human politics and their churches and clergy can be found in every town. But many priests are more then they appear - such as the easy-going and perpetually poor Abel Nightroad, a priest who travels the country on official church business. What that business is, however, soon becomes clear when it is revealed that just as vampires prey on humans, so is there another race that preys on vampires… And Abel is one of them.
Trinity Blood mixes of action and politics with style. While there’s obvious similarities between it and Hellsing’s vampires or Trigun’s blend of gunplay and comedy, the show actually reminds me most of the Original Mobile Suit Gundam series, particularly in its political overtones. Both Gundam and Trinity Blood love to show off just how many robots or vampires their bad boys can mow down at once, but the real tension in both series originates from the behind-the-scenes power struggles, scheming factions, and questionable moral ideals.
Unfortunately, this does result in the first couple of episodes of Trinity Blood being somewhat slow, as the key players and political forces are all still being introduced. However, by the time episode three rolls around, both the pace and plot quickly pick up. From there, the series alternates between the main plot and more character driven side stories.
Where Trinity Blood really stands out is with its artistic style. From the character designs and backgrounds to the carefully animated weaponry, Trinity Blood is consistently beautiful, detailed, and haunting. Even better, its artistry not only makes the series look good, but supports it thematically as well. Splendor and flair highlight the bleakness of war; the wealth displayed by the world’s leaders is simultaneously a tribute to surviving in the face of tragedy and an indictment of the state of the poor. And as an added bonus, the style also carries over into the series’ packaging, resulting in gorgeous covers and boxes.
Trinity Blood is for the horror and action fans, political philosophers, and anyone who ever went through a goth phase in high school. Its brooding atmosphere and dark tones combined with bloody action make it the perfect Halloween season fare, and there’s never been a better excuse to cosplay the pope at the office costume party. Watch it in the dark and just let the ambiance soak in.
Right Stuf Productions
Right Stuf Contests and Updates
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Enter the latest CONTEST on the official Ninja Nonsense website! You could be 1 of 5 random winners of a Ninja Nonsense figurine! |
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From the director of Rahxephon and animated by the famous Studio Bones, Eureka Seven is a heady mix of action, intrigue, and giant sky-surfing robots. Bandai has sent us not one, not two, but five prize packs full of everything you need to get ready for some sky-surfing action yourself: a Eureka Seven hat, shirt, lanyard, backpack and, in case you need to double-check how to pull off that 10-80 spin while simultaneously battling other giant robots in the clouds, the entire first season on DVD!
See the Contests page for more details. Good luck and keep an eye on the sky!
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Anime Today Q & A
If you have a question for us, call 1-800-338-6827, extension 7424. Also, you may send us e-mail at animetoday@rightstuf.com. If your question is selected, you will receive a $10 gift certificate to Right Stuf’s online store!
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